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First Quotes

On beginnings, and what a 'first' really changes.

The quotes gathered here treat 'first' loosely: a rookie athlete crediting the teammates who set the tone early, a filmmaker's take on what should scare an audience right away, and a physicist weighing what can and can't be known first. If early relationships resonate, see our First Love.

There were three Selma-to-Montgomery marches in March 1965, and Rosa Parks had missed the first one. Parks, whose act of civil disobedience sparked the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955, moved to Detroit two years later for safety reasons.

Quotes by Douglas Brinkley

With the newspapers cheering, Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt chose a top-notch regiment of more than 1,250 men. They were first called Teddy's Texas Tarantulas and went through three or four other monikers until Roosevelt's Rough Riders stuck.

Quotes by Douglas Brinkley

In taking stock of ourselves, we should not forget that fear plays a large part in the drama of failure. That is the first thing to be dropped. Fear is a mental deficiency susceptible of correction, if taken in hand...

Quotes by Douglas Fairbanks

If the destination is heaven, why do we scramble to be first in line for hell?

Quotes by Douglas Horton

Currently under FCC policy, indecency determinations hinge on two factors. First, material must describe or depict sexual or excretory organs or activities. Second, the material must be patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium.

Quotes by Doug Ose

I want to hire guys that fit that mold; I want guys where it's about the Philadelphia Eagles first, that check their egos at the door.

Quotes by Doug Pederson

My first signing bonus was 3,500 bucks. I bought speakers and a five-disc carousel CD changer. Dude, I thought I was the wealthiest quarterback around.

Quotes by Doug Pederson

I was the first movie star to plunge into night-time soap opera.

Quotes by Dorothy Malone

When I first read the script, I realized that Katie would have to be played as a rather down-to-earth person.

Quotes by Dorothy McGuire

When I heard Jeb was running, I first thought, 'Wow, I'm not sure I could go through another campaign,' but Jeb is so smart.

Quotes by Dorothy Bush Koch

First of all, let it be remembered that I speak as an ex-Communist and one who has not testified before Congressional Committees, nor written works on the Communist conspiracy.

Quotes by Dorothy Day

Everybody wants to be a first round pick.

Quotes by Donte DiVincenzo

My father was in the First World War.

Quotes by Doris Lessing

Time and distance from the first and second world wars doesn't seem to lessen their horrors.

Quotes by Doris Lessing

Attention to any subject will in a short time render it attractive, be it ever so disagreeable and tedious at first.

Quotes by Dorothea Dix

At thirteen I began modeling, doing my first television commercial in ninth grade for Pizza Hut.

Quotes by Donna Rice

Although I'd first seen Senator Hart in Aspen, Colorado, at a New Year's Day party in 1987, we hadn't talked.

Quotes by Donna Rice

I was eleventh-grade class president. That was the first elective office I held until I came into Congress.

Quotes by Donna Edwards

The first thing the secretary types is the boss.

Quotes by Donald Trump

My first novel took 12 years to complete because life got in my way.

Quotes by Donald McKay

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this page include a quote about starting an NFL career?
Yes. One quote looks back on the very beginning of an NFL career, crediting teammates named Tim Dwight and Eric Parker with showing what work ethic it takes to be an NFL receiver. It's a good example of first marking an early, formative stage of a career. For more on early milestones, see First Step quotes.
Is there a quote about horror movies or scaring an audience?
Yes - one quote states it plainly: "The first monster you have to scare the audience with is yourself." It's a compact idea about confronting your own fear before you can frighten anyone else. For more on how first moments set the tone, browse First Impression quotes.
Does this collection touch on science, like physics?
It does. One quote discusses the uncertainty relation, explaining that it does not refer to the past, and using the example of an electron's velocity being at first known and its position then exactly measured. It's a more technical, scientific sense of first.
What does the quote about the constitution say?
One quote makes a direct statement: "The constitution does not provide for first and second class citizens." It's a clear, principled statement about equal citizenship. It naturally pairs with First Class quotes on this page.
Do all the quotes here use "first" the same way?
Not at all - that's part of the appeal. Across this page, first describes a rookie's early days in the league, a monster's first scare, an electron's first known velocity, and even first-class citizenship. If you like exploring different kinds of firsts, First Love quotes make a nice companion stop.

One quote pushes past personal firsts into a civic claim about equal standing under the constitution, which broadens the theme beyond simple nostalgia. Related pages include First Impression and First Step.